My 30 day trip to Sumatra got off to a good start. After reaching Jakarta
Airport in late afternoon I hurried off to buy a ticket for the next leg,
tsunami city Banda Aceh at the northern tip. It had proved impossible to
make an Internet booking with a non-Indonesian credit card and this flight
formed an essential part of my plan. The miracle was evident when I found
myself on a completely full plane early next morning which also was a
holy Friday. The sheer size of Sumatra was reflected in the flight time of
over 2 hours in a new Boeing. My next move also needed a miracle. I had
been given the address of Fauna and Flora International (FFI) which happens
to have headquarters in Cambridge, where I would meet a contact for making
further arrangements. After a long search my taxi driver finally located an
empty house at the given address. Since it was a Friday I skipped further
searching and caught a fast boat to the exotic island of Sabang for a few
lazy days (as already planned from Saturday). There I checked into Freddie's
place as recommended by Lonely Planet. That same evening when I explained my
predicament, Freddie himself solved my problem by producing the phone number
of my contact and I could enjoy several days swimming in the Indian Ocean
without concern.

After locating the FFI office, the next stage started with a 5 hour drive in
their vehicle with two other passengers who might not otherwise have made the
journey. We arrived at a centre called Mane on the edge of the rainforest.
Here some 16 community rangers were being trained before taking up their
duties in surrounding villages. I was assigned the VIP room and introduced
to staff members who informed me about relevant activities. The centre also
supports a rapid response team of elephants for escorting crop-raiding wild
elephants back to the forest.

Next day I met two guides who prepared for a 6 day rainforest trek. We were
driven down to a nearby village and set off in hot conditions, with me only
carrying water and camera. The conversation was mostly non-existent but the
body language of an exhausted hiker is universal. We had only walked an hour
but the suffering was real. Much to my surprise, a truck came up the road and
offered us a lift. The road was about the worst in my experience but clinging
on was still preferable. Eventually the gradient eased and we were left with
a short hike to an abandoned hut which provided shelter for the night. On the
second day it was hard keeping up with the guides. The trail was now in the
shade but it became quite muddy and there were streams to be crossed. Five
hours later we reached a second wooden structure. It was interesting to see
the guides cooking dinner of fried eggs, spicy noodles and the inevitable
rice, with the entire cutlery consisting of one spoon and a wooden stick for
the rice. The third day started with a lean breakfast and by 10 I felt quite
weak. I understood it would take another 8 hours to reach next camp and this
was too much in my condition when considering the difficult trail. However,
instead of turning back the guides persuaded me there was an alternative camp
some 5 hours away so I agreed to carry on. On the way we heard distant calls
by gibbons and saw many elephant foot-prints. Eventually the rainforest gave
way to a Savannah. At the end we came down a huge grass slope which provided
beautiful views of green hills. Here we found a simple river camp with a
tarpaulin for rain cover.

The fourth day was spent at leisure, with the river invigorating my tired
body and aching feet. Only one animal was spotted but there were elephant
tracks of impressive size. After this recuperation, the two day return trip
was less arduous once the first steep hill had been surmounted. By that time
I had also become used to the primitive menu and could enjoy the meals that
were prepared with consummate skill. This journey took me through the best
rainforest in the world and thanks to FFI, I was apparently the first tourist
to visit this pristine area. Remarkably, we only experienced two bursts of
rain during the six days but every plant seemed to be in perfect condition.
The trail itself was overgrown but the alternative of dense jungle was not
an option so I could see the way most of the time when lagging behind. On the
return to Mane, I was fortunate to attend the closing ceremony of the ranger
training which terminated with an elephant placing a floral wreath over the
head of each student. Several high officials had travelled long distances
just to attend the ceremony which added significance to the importance of
conservation. An added bonus for me was to see the video of a tiger captured
by villagers being released by helicopter in the area where I had just been.

Back in Aceh, FFI provided 4 hours transport to a small elephant camp near
the coast. Again I was assigned the VIP room in the only building. Here my
activities were less strenuous, consisting of swimming in the river and an
elephant picnic in the jungle. There was hardly any trail for the elephants
and some steep sections made it hard work being a passenger. On the road to
Aceh we crossed a big river in the world's smallest car ferry with room for
only one vehicle.

After this interesting side-trip I flew to Medan and continued by bus 3 hours
to Bukit Lawang which is the rehabilitation centre for orang-utans. There are
only some 5000 on Sumatra (plus a population on Borneo) and they all live in
this area. I signed on for an overnight jungle trek and was escorted by two
guides, with a third needed to carry food and large car tubes for rafting by
walking the river banks. In the first hour we saw a Thomas leaf-monkey and
later another posed obligingly at close range. One guide spotted the first
orang-utan which turned out to be a known dominant male. It approached us
and allowed time for several pictures, finally sitting on a liana only 10 m
away before climbing up again. As if this was not enough entertainment, a
group of tourists appeared without noticing the orang-utan descending fast,
and in horror I watched as it came within one metre of a fleeing human.
After this dramatic encounter we only saw a few distant orang-utans but not
all treks are guaranteed sightings. The last part of the trail proves hard
work, with steep and slippery sections and it is a relief to hear the river
getting closer. The guides put me on a tube and ferry me across to camp where
the cook is already brewing up. The last adventure is being caught in a down-
pour while swimming and having to wait for drying out before entering my new
home. Next morning, we float down the river on three large connected tubes,
loaded by waterproof bags and me sitting in the middle. Although no more than
grade 3.5, it is great fun and getting wet is a bonus in the hot weather.

It remained to see the feeding of rehabilitated orang-utans which was half
an hour's hike away. Rangers attracted orangs by banging on trees and soon
several animals approached for their breakfast of bananas and even special
milk in one case. Watching carefully one can appreciate the strength of these
animals who have over 96 percent of their DNA in common with humans. A family
of macaques are attracted by the commotion and come within 1 m looking for
food. Before the time limit is up a large male approaches closely and we must
retreat down the path for safety. A stroll through the village shows what
happens to a touristic hot-spot, with too many souvenir shops and empty
restaurants vying for customers. Hopefully the growing number of visitors
will not cause distress to the unique orang-utans and other shy animals.

The final week was without a firm plan. The idea was to have some adventures
in the huge Kerinci National Park, accompanied by a guide. However, when I
flew south across country to Padang I discovered a problem in that the phone
number of my contact in this town contained a copying error. It was not until
the next day that I tried the number of another FFI staff member who lived
far away. By great luck I obtained the number of a guide called Doddy who
agreed to look after me. Up to this moment I pondered the easier alternative
of travelling north and join the tourist trail at Bukuttinggi which enjoys a
certain popularity. So next morning I set off in a bus towards Kerinci in
anticipation of an 8 hour trip. The long journey involved serious delays due
to road works but we made it that night. The next obstacle was to call my
guide without being in the possession of a mobile phone or phrase book in a
town where my English was not much use. This problem was eventually resolved
and Doddy arrived and invited me to his base camp. Spending most of his time
in the jungle, there was not much need for a fancy place but at least I had
free accommodation. Unfortunately his services had just been requested at
another location. The new duty was delayed when I offered a million rupiah
per day as well as car rental. In the end we agreed to skip the park itself
and make excursions and hikes on a daily basis. My original aim had been to
search for tigers but on being told that Doddy had not seen a single one in
five years of camera trapping the odds against were almost astronomical.
(There are said to be some 400 tigers in the National Parks of Sumatra.)

On day one we drove to the foothills of Mt Kerinci, a 3800 m volcano which
dominates the landscape. The narrow and winding road provided stunning views
of planted cinnamon forests full of red leaves, interspersed with large tea
plantations. We made an easy hike beyond the gate and spent some time waiting
for something to happen. In the event only a solitary ground squirrel showed
up but the foot-prints of muntjack deer and wild dog were pointed out. Also
notable was a truly spectacular epiphyte hosted by a thin tree.

The second day turned into a mud-bath. With four passengers in the back, we
drove past Lake Kerinci and up in the hills. The objective Mirror Lake was
reached in three hours, partly along muddy trails, and involved crossing a
river in boots for safety. The 100 m size lake has an amazing blue colour and
the invitation to swim proved irresistible. Unfortunately, the picnic was
interrupted by rain which added to the slippery conditions. On the positive
side, the distinct foot-print of the rare clouded leopard was newsworthy.

For a change, day three was almost entirely by vehicle. We drove up steep
hills behind our town of Sungai Penuth, followed by a steep descent into hot
jungle. After a short walk along the road my guide spotted a gibbon, and soon
the whole family could be seen. They moved fast and jumped from one tree to
another in an elegant manner. On several occasions I had already heard their
evocative call which carries a long way but this was the first sighting and
for me, a new species. At sunset we drove up the hill again to admire views
of the distant volcano and the enormous flat valley of rice fields.

My final day was also an easy one. This time we re-traced the road to the
volcano and continued to Seven Mountain. A short hike brought us to a camping
ground where we enjoyed a picnic. Down at the end of the road we were invited
into an army hut. Here I met an Indonesian zoologist who was cataloguing and
preserving a sample of frogs. It turned out she had discovered a new species
of forest frog. These tiny creatures only measured 2 cm in length. On the
question of how the discovery was made, I was told she noticed a new sound
while out exploring at night. So here I was on my last day witnessing the
identification of a new member of the rainforest. It seemed quite ironic that
the Indonesian army was assisting in the peaceful activity of hunting frogs,
but for a scientist it was wonderful ending on a high note.